AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-175
ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North
America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS reports on the
activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an
active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating
through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor at amsat.org
In this edition:
* AO-51 in V/S Mode for Last Week of June
* Delfi-C3 Satellite Integration for Planned Autumn Launch
* 2007 AMSAT BoD Candidates List Announcement
* New Items in the AMSAT On-Line Store
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
* ARISS Status Report for the week of June 18, 2007
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-175.01
AO-51 in V/S Mode for Last Week of June
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 175.01
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 24, 2007
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-175.01
Drew, KO4MA AMSAT-NA VP Operations reminds users that the AO-51
Echo Satellite will be in its V/S mode for the last week of
June 26 - June 30:
FM Repeater, V/S
Uplink: 145.880 MHz FM, NO PL Tone
Downlink: 2401.200 MHz FM
Full details are available on-line at:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/CTNews.php
[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-175.02
Delfi-C3 Satellite Integration for Planned Autumn Launch
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 175.02
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 24, 2007
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-175.02
Wouter Jan Ubbels, PE4WJ, Delfi-C3's project manager of electronic
systems and communications at the Delft University of Technology
in the Netherlands reports that their satellite is being integrated
and tested in preparation for launch in September or October, 2007.
The Delfi team has posted photos of the satellite integration work
at: http://www.delfic3.nl/photoblog/.
Delfi-C3 is a 3-unit CubeSat carrying redundant radio transceivers,
connected to the antenna system by a hybrid combiner. Both trans-
ceivers consist of a UHF front end, a command receiver, linear IF,
telemetry generator and the final stages capable of 400mW RF power.
Delfi-C3 contains no batteries because it's primary mission is to
perform a solar cell and sun sensor experiment so the spacecraft will
only be active when in sunlight.
The first three months of the mission will perform the science
mission, in which the spacecraft will be transmitting 1200 bit/s
AX.25 telemetry on the primary or backup VHF downlink. (See
http://www.delfic3.nl for frequency information.) Telemetry will be
transmitted once per second.
A Java application will be available for download from the website
to display telemetry in real time, and upload it to Delfi's central
server in Delft. A soundcard application in Java is planned to be
available to decode the BPSK signal. The MixW software package will
also be compatible with the telemetry signal.
After three months, the linear transponder will be activated, with a
40kHz bandwidth. In transponder mode, a CW beacon will be active
instead of BPSK telemetry. It will transmit a message saying "hi hi
de delfi-c3 delfi-c3". Since Delfi-C3 will transmit with only 400mW
of downlink power, earth stations will need to prepare a good receive
system.
TLE's will be anounced on the website (http://www.delfic3.nl) once
they are available. Preliminary parameters of the orbit are:
+ altitude: 630km circular
+ inclination: 97.91 degrees
+ sun-synchronous
[ANS thanks Wouter Jan Ubbels, PE4WJ for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-175.03
2007 AMSAT BoD Candidates List Announcement
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 175.03
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 24, 2007
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-175.03
Nominations for the 2007 AMSAT Board of Directors have closed. The
list of qualified candidates is:
Barry Baines WD4ASW
Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA
Rick Hambly W2GPS
Lee McLamb KU4OS
Gunther Meisse W8GSM
The terms of four directors are up this year. Directors serve a two
year term. Ballots and biographical information submitted by each
candidate will be in the mail to current AMSAT members by July 15th
and completed ballots must be received at the AMSAT office in Silver
Spring no later than the close of business on September 15th. Terms
of the new directors start upon certification of the election.
Barry Baines, WD4ASW
Corporate Secretary
[ANS thanks Barry Baines, WD4ASW for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-175.04
New Items in the AMSAT On-Line Store
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 175.04
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 24, 2007
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-175.04
Bruce, KK5DO, wearing his AMSAT Online Store Manager hat reports, "We
have added four new items to the AMSAT Online Store:
1. A new dark blue long sleeve 100% cotton shirt with AMSAT logo
2. A new dark blue ball cap with AMSAT logo
3. The AMSAT Journal on CD-ROM for years 2001-2005 (searchable)
4. The 2007 "Getting Started in Satellites" book (now 110 pages).
Go online at http://www.amsat.org and click on the Online Store in the
menu to the left. Order your goodies today.
[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-175.05
Satellite Shorts From All Over
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 175.05
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 24, 2007
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-175.05
+ Clive G3CWV's OSCAR-11 report for the week of 16 June 2007 summarizes
operations as, "No signals have been received from the satellite's
145.826 MHz beacon because it remains in eclipse. Listen for signals
starting around August 20."
+ F.Costa, CT1EAT, has a QSL for auction from Owen K. Garriott (W5LFL),
the first radio amateur who operated from space, during the STS-9
mission in 1983. Please see photos at http://ct1eatsale.no.sapo.pt/
He will acept bids, in EURO currency, until 00.00 UTC 25 June 2007.
The highest bidder will donate the amount for an AMSAT/ARISS project
of their choice. He will send the card to the winner for free via
registered airmail. Please send your bids to ct1eat at amsat.org.
+ Peter Guelzow, DB2OS reported the AMSAT-DL/IUZ team received congrat-
ulations from the Voyager Flight Team on their successful reception
of the furthest manmade object in space. The message read, "Congratu-
lations on your successful downlink acquisition of Voyager 1 at your
20 meter tracking station. Acquiring such a distant object is a
remarkable achievement, especially for an amateur team. Thank you
very much for your interest in Voyager." Peter summarizes, "It also
demonstrates now officially that the 20m dish is good enough to support
the AMSAT P5-A Mission to Mars."
[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-175.06
ARISS Status Report for the week of June 18, 2007
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 175.06
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 24, 2007
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-175.06
1. Russian ARISS Contact Successful
On Thursday, June 14, an ARISS contact was made between the Inter-
national Congress of Slavic States Conference in Sochi, Russia and
the ISS. Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI participated in the event.
2. Upcoming School Contacts
The ARISS team continues to work on scheduling school contacts for
Expedition 15.
3. Technical Interchange Meeting
The ARISS team is planning a Technical Interchange Meeting during the
week of July 9 in Houston. The team plans to discuss radio system
hardware, software and the SuitSat-2 project.
4. ARISS International Meeting
The ARISS teleconference will on Tuesday, June 19 discussed the next
ARISS face to face meeting, SuitSat-2 and the Columbus Module.
[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI for the above information]
/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors
to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits.
Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
K9JKM at amsat dot org